


Happy Thanksgiving

by ObtuseOctopus



Series: The Ortiz Family [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Arguing, Divorce, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, Family Issues, References to Depression, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21599101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObtuseOctopus/pseuds/ObtuseOctopus
Summary: • COMPLETE. One shot. •Thanksgiving; a day where friends and family give thanks for all the good things in life. That is unless your name is Malachite Ortiz, daughter to a family who is too dysfunctional to operate.
Relationships: Jasper/Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe)
Series: The Ortiz Family [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1574440
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Happy Thanksgiving

**Author's Note:**

> // Not sure if I should put it but anyways just as a warning; this does contain dysfunctional family content and references to depression.

“She did  _ WHAT?!”  _

As Lapis entered the room and made sure to close the door behind herself, the principal of the middle school remained firm in his chair. He had his hands clasped upon the wood desk in front of him, letting out a sigh. “Please, miss...?”

“Ortiz,” Jasper, a rather broad woman already seated across from the principal answered for her wife.

“Right, miss ah... Ortiz… your daughter was in lunch detention today because she had bullied another student,” the principal explained. “ _ Bitten _ , more like.”

Jasper scoffed rather loudly, in disbelief. “Who did she pick on? What did they do?”

“... Ugh. This is your fault, you told her that if she ever gets picked on-“ Lapis began to gripe at Jasper as she sat down in the empty chair beside her wife.

“My fault?! What, so Mal is supposed to just stand there and take it when someone beats on her?!” Jasper rebutted.

“What, no-! I meant that she shouldn’t  _ bite  _ another kid!”

“She’s defending herself, Lapis, leave her alone.”

“You’re teaching her  _ horrible  _ things-!”

“Am not! Do you want her to get pushed around?!”

“It’s not-!”

The principal clapped his hands together, disrupting the two from arguing before it could escalate. “Now I know that today also is Thanksgiving and school is going to be out tomorrow for this holiday, so I let her off with only the lunch detention and warning. But if it happens again-“

“It won’t happen again, Mr. Dewey,” Lapis promised. “I’m so sorry. We’ll…” She glanced at Jasper, “talk to her about this.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” the principal grinned. 

Jasper on the other hand rolled her eyes, most unimpressed. 

From outside the room, Malachite was waiting for the parent meeting to end. She had been sitting ever since school had been let out today, and when her parents had arrived, before they went into the room they didn’t even say a word to her. She knew she was in trouble, she didn’t need someone to tell her that. And she knew that she was going to get scolded on the ride home.

But in all fairness, Alexandrite  _ did  _ make fun of her first. And Malachite being… well, Malachite, responded in the only way she knew that would make the other girl hush it quick. Plus she tried yelling like her parents would do and that didn’t work! So she did something else to end the teasing, and it worked! Her mom said that it was okay if she was getting picked on, and both her mothers would start getting physical time to time in the house when they had fights, so what was the difference? She didn’t understand… Her young mind didn’t know any better. Why was putting her hands on someone bad? Her moms did it when they got upset...

It was a good five minutes before the meeting finally ended, and out walked her moms. Jasper looked proud, and Lapis was the complete opposite. Finally they had acknowledged her as they stopped in front it her, Lapis first. It somewhat eased her mind knowing that her parents weren’t entirely ignoring her after what had happened.

“Baby- you can't just… bite people,” Lapis explained softly, pinching the bridge of her nose, a telltale sign that she was exhausted.

“Oh my god, leave her alone,” Jasper groaned. “Mal, what happened?”

“Don’t coddle her like that!” Lapis exclaimed.

“I’m not coddling her-!”

“She bit someone, Jasper, that isn’t okay-!”

Malachite began to tune out their fighting. She was used to this, so it was easy for her to turn her attention elsewhere such as her imagination or wondering about things such as sharks, her favorite animal. In fact, her answer to the bullying was inspired by a shark. They often took a bite of something to see if it was tasty, then come back for seconds if it was. She was a natural born shark!

“...- Come on, we’re leaving.” 

Malachite felt her hand be grabbed by one of her parents, and only then did she tune back in with what was going on. Lapis was holding her gently but firmly, tugging her along away from the principal's office, and out of the school building. Jasper was already ahead, in the parking lot and starting up the car.

“Mom-“ Malachite began as she was led along to the vehicle.

“Malachite, not now.”

“But, mom-“

“I said NOT. NOW,” Lapis repeated, a bit louder and more enunciated.

Malachite immediately quieted down. So she was in trouble. Somewhat. Judging by the tone anyway. 

Her mother opened up the door for her, then closed it once she was in the car, and she began to buckle herself in as Lapis took the passenger’s seat.

Jasper easily pulled the van out of the parking lot, driving away from the school campus. “It’s only four thirteen, we can still do any last minute-“

“I am no way inviting my family over,” Lapis stopped Jasper’s suggestion. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Jesus Christ- just because your daughter-“

“Oh, MY daughter now?! She’s yours too!” Lapis pointed out. “And I don’t want to do any Thanksgiving-“

“What?! Lapis, my sisters have their yearly barbecue going on. It doesn’t HAVE to involve your family.”

“Do I look like I give a shit?!”

“Do not use that tone-!”

“I just don’t want to do any Thanksgiving this year. I don’t care if your sisters-“

“What are you, on your period?”

“You know DAMN WELL it isn’t because-!”

“Really?! Because you sure sound like it!”

“JASPER!”

“It’s the FUCKING holidays, Lapis! Take off your diaper and fucking GROW UP!”

Lapis slammed her hand on the top of the glove compartment in front of her. Malachite tensed. “I don’t want to do a Thanksgiving this year. What is so hard to understand about that?!”

“Jesus fucking Christ…” Jasper hissed.

Malachite started tuning out again.

A few more back and forth yelling, and eventually they finally reached home. Jasper nearly had crashed into another driver back when they had been on the freeway due to how fast she had been going, but nothing bad happened in the end and they all were still alive.

Alive, and… a mess.

The car pulled up into the driveway, and Malachite waited until it was off before she unbuckled herself. Lapis was the first one out of the van, followed by Jasper yelling something at her as she too exited. Malachite was too done to care. This happened a lot anyway. It was no different.

She hopped out, following after her parents into the house. From there, she went to her room.

“What the hell do you mean no Thanksgiving this year?” Jasper complained as she slammed the door shut, putting her jacket onto the rack by the door.

“I said. No,” Lapis growled, kicking off her shoes.

“Lapis, it’s a fucking holiday-“

“Which happens EVERY year. Why do you care? Don’t you have some Navajo? It should be offensive to you.”

“To me, it’s about-“

“Whoops, just realized I don’t care,” Lapis walked out of the kitchen. 

Jasper immediately ran after her wife. “What has gotten into you?! You’re always like this!”

“Look in the mirror before you say that!” Lapis turned herself as she stopped in the hallway, snapping her head around to shoot a glare. 

“I should say the same to you.”

“You wouldn’t…”

“I would if it means you could be less of an asshole!”

“Don’t you fucking dare mention a mirror around me!”

“You mentioned it first, brat!” Jasper easily loomed over the shorter woman. When Lapis started walking off again, she reached out and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from leaving. “Lapis-“

“Let go of me-!”

“No!”

“LET GO!”

There was some tussling, some grabbing, and then some angry hits and groans. The couple wrestled like a pair of hormonal crocodiles, spitting curses and acting like children who had no restraint. Jasper managed to back Lapis into a wall in the hallway, the hung photograph portraits giving a slight tremble in response to the thump on the wall. Lapis worked on trying to free herself, kicking and screaming while Jasper restrained her.

“Fucking bitch-!”

“Says you-!”

“OH MY GOD LET GO!”

“THEN STOP-! Did you just BITE ME?!”

Malachite remained in her room. She had a pair of earbuds in, and she was browsing through her phone. A lot of people were posting pictures of themselves eating turkey and gravy, faces stuffed with good looking food, exciting environments, and…

Malachite paused over one image she came across. It was one of her schoolmates with their family, their mother and father smiling, siblings pulling silly faces, a plump cooked turkey in front of them. Their grandparents were also in the frame, all happy and grinning wide. 

It was foreign to her; the concept of happiness. She didn’t even know that it  _ wasn’t  _ normal to have a family that fought so much until this year after she had started talking to the school counselor after she had called some other kids names for taking away her stuffed whale shark. She didn’t spill too much details however, afraid of being taken away from her moms. They were the only thing she had anymore, besides her stuffed whale shark. Other kids were mean. People looked at her funny because she had two moms, or because of her skin color. It wasn’t exactly… a happy place for her. She didn’t have friends either. Besides her stuffed whale shark.

She scrolled through her phone after she angrily and finally managed to press her finger to the screen, forgetting about the image. “Fuck this…” a favorite statement she had learned from her parents.

* * *

“I thought mom said no Thanksgiving,” Malachite commented as she sat at the dinner table. The scent of food wafted through the air, composing of French bread and mashed potato. 

“We talked about it,” Jasper whispered back to her daughter, keeping her voice down and gesturing Malachite do the same. She had a bag of ice held to her shoulder, her skin red with irritation there and her chin bruised a little. More than likely, she and Lapis got into another fight.

“So…?” Malachite pressed. She was surprised when a slice of ham was put onto her plate by Lapis, who leaned over from behind and minding where she was putting her arm as she delivered the food.

“Just… eat,” Lapis sighed. Malachite turned her head for a brief moment, catching the bruises on her mother’s neck. Ew. She knew what that meant. She gave a judging raise of her brow before she turned back around in her seat. 

Lapis sat down after turning the stove off, putting some sliced ham onto her plate after Jasper passed it over.

It was very quiet. Awkwardly too quiet. 

All she could hear was the forks against plates and the sound of food being chewed.

Malachite got herself a spoonful of mashed potatoes from the middle of the table. This was… new. A family dinner like this was extremely rare. She forgot the last time it had even been like this. Maybe five- six years ago?

It was still awfully silent. Lapis was staring down at her plate, not much on it. Jasper on the other hand had plenty of food on hers, wolfing it down quickly. Malachite was in between, with little food but just enough to quench her appetite. 

The ham was rather good. It had been made with some sugar so it tasted sweet.

Malachite glanced up at her mothers. She chewed on a stick of celery that she retrieved from the fruits and vegetables offered. When nothing happened and when the quiet still prospered, she just shrugged, focusing back on her food. This… seemed rather nice for a change. Was this was family was supposed to be like? It was better than mean kids making fun of her, that was for sure.

She was about halfway into finishing off her plate when the sound of sniffling alerted her. Malachite looked up again to see Lapis breaking down, hiding her face with one hand and an elbow on the table as her body shivered. 

Jasper rolled her eyes. “... Are you going to tell her or am I?” She broke the silence, rather demanding and firm.

“Jasper…” Lapis whimpered, removing her hand to reveal her eyes wet with tears.

“Are you going to tell her, or am I?” Jasper repeated.

Lapis sighed. She wiped her eyes with her arm. Then, turned to her daughter. “Malachite…?”

Malachite was already at attention, waiting and dumbfounded at what was going on.

Lapis continued. “We…” 

“For fuck’s- we’re getting a divorce,” Jasper finished for her, saying it upfront.

Malachite blankly stared. “H-huh?”

“Jasper! Don’t-!” Lapis whined, upset.

“What? You want me to lie to her?! We are getting a divorce. There, I said it,” Jasper hissed.

“D… divorce…?” Malachite faintly echoed.

Lapis got up rather abruptly from the table. She retreated to her bedroom fairly quickly, and even her wife couldn’t do much about it. 

Jasper looked ticked, her brows furrowed. “Yeah. Congratulations, huh?”

Malachite said nothing back. She couldn’t say anything back. She didn’t even know what to say.


End file.
